How to Rank Higher on Google

In part 1 of this post, I detailed where my web pages rank on Google for keyword phrases related to my books and online identity: "music marketing" and "music promotion." Now I'll share a few simple tips you can use to rank better on search engines for your own keywords.

As an example, let's use an author who writes how-to books on personal finance. Here are the steps you would take:

1) Get Category Specific

So you publish "personal finance" material. Fine. But ask yourself, "Is there an even more specific way to describe the types of books I write?" Personal finance can be further defined as credit repair, retirement planning, money management, investing, taxes, and more. What words best clarify your type of personal finance information? And more importantly, what words might buyers of your books search for online?

2) Title Tag, You're It

Be sure to include your chosen keywords in the Title tags of your pages' HTML code -- especially your home page -- with the most potent words first. Example: "Retirement planning and personal finance advice." For my purposes, I called my blog "Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog," which appears in the Title tags of every page. Google loves it when pages specifically reference what they're about.

3) Use a Keyword-Rich Domain Name or Subdirectory

The personal finance author might register RetirementPlanningTips.com or SaveMoneyOnYourTaxes.com. I grabbed MusicPromotionBlog.com to reinforce what my blog was about. Again, search engines like to send people to sites that clearly communicate a specific topic, and a well-chosen domain name will help.

If you already have a domain name (such as FinanceBooksByDave.com), add a subdirectory and send people to FinanceBooksByDave.com/retirement/. While I own MusicPromotionBlog.com, my blog is actually hosted on my main site at bob-baker.com/musicpromotionblog. Therefore, my blog name, subdirectory name, and Title tags all reinforce the keywords I want to emphasize.

4) Link to Yourself

To show up on Google, you must have incoming links from web sites that are already indexed by Google. The more the merrier, and the higher profile the site, the more weight its link to you will carry.

In the old days of the Internet, you got incoming links by trying to get other sites to link to yours. You can still do that, but these days there are tons of options to create dozens of your own incoming links.

Examples: Include active links to your site (or your specific subdirectory) from your profile pages on MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Blogger, Amazon, and tagging sites like Del.icio.us and Technorati. Links from these popular sites carry weight with Google.

5) Link Using Targeted Keyword Text

Whenever possible, use your exact keywords as the active link text. Don't just write, visit my "home page" for more info. Better: Download my "free retirement planning checklist here."

Use these five simple tips to improve your Google search engine rankings, whether you publish "books for bowlers" or a guide on "how to play blackjack for a living."

-Bob

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